We are charging ahead. It is a move forward towards the future. It is the beginning of the new astrological year and it is happening now. We are unstoppable. A force of nature. But, there is trouble in paradise. The new moon is an eclipse, and its ruler Mars is about to meet Saturn in Pisces. At the same time Mercury is retrograde, not letting the past be, but revising it before it goes forward as well later on.
We want to push the accelerator, but there are blocks on the road ahead and tests to go through before arriving to where ever we are going. One way or another, we shall do it. We’ve just been through the Spring Equinox and are feeling pumped up with optimism for the change in season and the change in our lives. It is the energy of renewal. It is the New Moon, and a north node solar eclipse, that takes place on 8 April, 2024, at 18:20 GMT, and at 19 degrees and 23 minutes of Aries. Worth mentioning that last time we had a north node solar eclipse in Aries was in March 2006. So, we have waited a long time for this cycle to complete and a new one to begin from where we left off.
The reading starts with The Chariot. The Chariot must be the tarot card of progress and success par excellence. In the case of the new moon in Aries, we are told that we have made it through the winter and we are the winners of survival. The Chariot is a symbol of victory. The feeling of leaving the past behind is palpable as the Chariot flies unimpeded forward. The Chariot has wings and we do too. It is kicking off vapours and dust as the horses charge ahead, it is defying gravity, it is golden with the sign of the sun sculptured onto its frame. The sense of freedom and abundance, lightness and glory, joy and enthusiasm are intertwined in the picture. The time has come for us to defy gravity and move on with our projects, reject procrastination, and take practical steps towards achieving our goals. It is not the time for being timid or overthinking it. Rejection, worry about others, fear of the wrong outcome should not bother, and will not bother us at this point in time. Whatever it is that we want to do, we should just get on with it. Aries is the sign of inception. A fire sign. Aries wants things to be simple, speedy and straightforward. We must adopt this attitude right now. Whether this is to do with work, health, study, everyday routine or big projects, home or family, travelling or committing to staying, we are asked to put action into plans, dreams and aspirations.
Put action into feelings and aspirations without regret or hesitation in real Aries fashion. Rather than avoiding our emotions through the trials of life and the winter dryness that can be so demoralising, we are asked to honour and put them centre stage to give us spiritual moisture and rehydration. The Queen of Cups is the most beautiful and benevolent in the deck, and stands right in the middle of our reading. She is nurturing, serene, plentiful. We cant expect to live and have a meaningful life, if we do not love what we do and who we share it with, in the broader and narrower sense. Home life, work, adventure, travel will be imbued with creativity and hope. Our life purpose is in the hands of Aries now and it will include a healthy dose of fast movement forward, passion, attacking problems head on and looking for happiness and self realisation. We have Venus and Chiron in Aries to moderate and deal with any dismissal, arrogance, violence and displays of lack of empathy or charity, that Aries is often associated with. As well as the positives, The Queen of Cups reminds us to be mindful of the negatives, so that we do not get too carried away with an overblown ego and a sense of entitlement that might lead to a crashing outcome.
Furthermore, The Emperor stands there to calm down the passions of spring. He is an authority, sovereign power, he makes his own rules, he is a leader, he is Aries. Yes. Right at the end we got the power card. This is a card that may allude to limitations and outside forces dictating conditions or a course of action, which could result in frustration, feelings of disempowerment, oppression, aggravation or disappointment. The struggle for power and independence will be particularly accentuated. But at the same time, there is the biggest lesson coming along which is self discipline and self control. Knowing the self and having self sovereignty rather than trying to dominate others will serve us best. And we should remember this as Mars is heading forward towards serious, tenacious, father figure Saturn. Mars is fast but Saturn rules time. Saturn is lord of the 7th sky, of the optimum moment in time that rules everything visible and everything material. Therefore, things must happen at the right time and in the right way to produce substantial results that matter. Not impulsively, and not out of place.
Basically, it is a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. We are meeting these trials and tribulation in Pisces, so we might have to slip through in a cunning fashion, or permeate with patience and courage. Mars can cut through the rubble or pick up a load in the journey. Saturn is there to moderate, give resilience, teach patience and help strategise for the long term. We will have to honour our emotions and respect our elders, society, the whole. Ultimately, it is the instinct for survival that is the driving force. But other things matter too, and are the framework for a life with purpose and joy. The Aries enthusiasm and an optimistic perspective, the desire for the new, the outdoors and the simple pleasures remains undiminished. The sense of self might be temporarily eclipsed in order to bring in to our lives something big and revolutionary that will surprise us. For some could be a baby in the family, or the birth of a new creative project, for some could be relocation, travel to a near by place, taking on a new course of study, a new job or business adventure. Whatever it is, we are not standing still but breaking through new ground and starting a new chapter with energy and intention.
Flavia